Former One Direction member Zayn Malik has given his first interview like a solo artist, discusses his tunes and advantages for quitting One Direction word by word.

"A big portion of why I left the group is I made the realization it wasn't actually about [being the greatest] anymore," he told Fader about quitting recording. "It wasn't in regards to the amount of tickets sales that I get. It was more in regards to the people that I reach. I want to reach them properly, and I long for them to believe what I'm saying. Check One Direction Infinity sheet music page. I've done enough with regard to financial backing will live comfortably. I just want to create music now."

When discussing One Direction Infinity sheet music, Malik noted he felt restrained creatively within this rock band, can not flex his really wants to veer towards an even more R&B sound. "If I would sing a hook or even a verse slightly R&B, or slightly myself, it could always be recorded 50 times until there was clearly a straight version which was pop, generic as fuck, so they really could use that version," he revealed. "I wasn't completely behind the background music. It wasn't me. It was music that's already fond of us, and that we were told itrrrs this that is going to sell to they will. As much as there we were the biggest, most popular boy band on this planet, it felt weird. We were advised to be happy about an issue that we weren't happy about."

Malik, who's got been dealing with Frank Ocean's producer Malay on his as-yet-untitled solo debut, made clear he was not a large fan of his former group's sound, which is veering more towards classic rock and folk influences within the last few albums. "That's not music I would tune in to," he states of the boy band. "Would you tune in to One Direction chords for a party with the girl? I wouldn't. To me, this is not an insult, that's me as being a 22-year-old man. As much as I was for the reason that band, and I loved anything that we did, this is not music that I would focus on. I want to produce music that I think is cool shit. I don't think that's excessive to ask for."

In an accompanying video while using c_over story, Malik previews new song "Befour," while using track suggesting a hazy, Weeknd-influenced R&B sound. He describes the album as diverse, sending mcdougal a letter that doubles because album's mission statement following their interview. "I can map every lyric and each note to mean something in my opinion," he wrote about his solo debut. "It's a snapshot of my well being and the thoughts on my entire life, my hopes, my aspirations, and my regrets during the summer of 2015."

Last Friday, One Direction released their fifth album, Made in the A.M. Malik has yet to show when his first single or full album will debut.